Kwara Farmers Receive Free Fertiliser to Boost Food Production

 

At least 50 farmers from the 16 local government areas of Kwara State have received free fertiliser distributed by the state government as part of efforts to increase food production.

Speaking with journalists during the inauguration of the fertiliser distribution at Oke-Oyi in Ilorin East Local Government Area, the Team Lead and State Coordinator of the Rice Farmers Association of Nigeria (RIFAN), Mohammed Salihu, said the initiative would reduce the financial burden on smallholder farmers.

He described the intervention as a major investment in agriculture and commended Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, President Bola Tinubu and the Commissioner overseeing the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for supporting genuine farmers.

Mohammed explained that the association received 100 bags of fertiliser, which were shared among 50 smallholder farmers, with each beneficiary receiving two bags to cultivate about one and a half acres of farmland.

“We sincerely appreciate Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq for this gesture. The fertiliser was given free of charge, and no farmer paid to receive it. Our duty was to ensure it got to genuine farmers,” he said.

The coordinator disclosed that about 4,000 verified farmers are expected to benefit from the programme, with nearly 8,000 bags of fertiliser to be distributed across the state.

He urged beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity by applying the fertiliser on their farms rather than selling or diverting it.

“My message to beneficiaries is that they should use the fertiliser on their farms. They should not sell it or give it away because the government expects positive results that will encourage more interventions in the future,” he added.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the Amana Farmers and Grain Suppliers Association of Nigeria, Kwara State Chapter, Mukaila Salaudeen, described the distribution as timely, noting that it coincided with the critical period for fertiliser application.

“We thank the government for making this fertiliser available at the right time because this is the time farmers need it most. We appreciate the governor, the commissioner and everyone involved in making this possible,” he said.

Salaudeen cautioned beneficiaries against selling the fertiliser, stressing that proper utilisation would lead to improved harvests and increased food production.

He appealed to the state government to expedite the distribution of improved seeds, noting that the planting season was already underway.

“Our appeal is for the government to release the expected seeds programme as quickly as possible because this is the only planting period. Farmers need the seeds before the month ends,” he said.

Salaudeen also urged the government to provide irrigation facilities to enable farmers cultivate throughout the year.

“We want to practise two farming seasons in Kwara State. If irrigation equipment is provided, farmers will continue production after the rainy season and record bumper harvests during the dry season as well,” he added.

In his remarks, the Coordinator of the Oke-Oyi Youth Farm Settlement in Ilorin East Local Government Area, Saka Ibrahim, commended the state government’s agricultural intervention, noting that insecurity has become a major obstacle to increased food production.

“We are grateful to the government for supporting farmers. These interventions reduce production costs, but the issue of security must be addressed because bandits are preventing many farmers from accessing their farms,” he said.

Ibrahim maintained that restoring security in farming communities would encourage farmers to cultivate larger areas of land, leading to increased food supply and lower market prices.

“If farmers can return safely to their farms, there will be more production, more food in the markets and food prices will come down,” he said.

He also appealed for additional fertiliser and other agricultural support, noting that many smallholder farmers could no longer afford farm inputs at prevailing market prices.

“We need more of these interventions because many farmers cannot afford fertiliser at current prices. More support will improve productivity and encourage more people to remain in farming,” he added.

One of the beneficiaries, Mrs. Ramat Ahmed, a woman farmer from Oke-Oyi, thanked the Kwara State Government for the intervention.

She assured that women farmers would make proper use of the fertiliser to improve agricultural production in the state.